The recently held Joint Admissions Maticulation Board (JAMB)’s examination for admission to universities in Nigeria(like previous exercises) was characterized by all shades of imaginable malpractices. Most saddening, parents, invigilators and the security personnel deployed to the examination centres all encouraged and connived with the candidates to cheat.

In the examination centre where my son sat for the exam, someone was caught impersonation, but was released after settling the Policeman on duty with N2000.

Several hours before the exams, answers to leaked questions papers were already in circulation. Mobiles phones and cyber cafes were bee hive of activities as they became venues for transmission of answers

In most centres, all you need to do is to settle the Invigilators, and you have a free day to cheat as you like

The truth is that the certificates and exam results we not brandish in Nigeria, is not worth the paper on which they are written

You can not give what you neither have or believe in

While it is accepted that population can be asset for development, the truth is that Nigeria has enough mouths to fill already. And there is an urgent necessity to curtail our high population growth rate.

No serious country allows its citizens to breed babies like rabbits.  National resources for development are not infinite and it is not possible to sustain high standard of living in a densely populated country…

Its time the Federal  Government enforce the upper limit of four children per family, give incentives to small family size, and deny social services to couples that are raising a football team through indiscriminate baby making.

Family planning programmes should be massively publicised and practised as a step towards Nigeria s development

You see Metro trains running in underground, trains running as ‘Trams’ on the surface, high passenger buses running on the streets, and small Boats also ferrying people to Islands around the metropolis.

The transport system in urban cities in Nigeria is unplanned, chaotic, and almost completely driven by the private sector that has limited access to funds to finance mass transit system.

If only the public officers in high places can stop looting the treasury and ensure resources, are expended on programmes such as infrastructural development, the madness on our roads will disappear.

The best way to immortalize the  man is not to name bridges, buildings, airports, or stadia after him but for the Nigerian nation to sincerely reopen the issues Ojukwu  raised as a Rebel 42 years ago.

We need to convene a National Sovereign Conference to decide how the ethnic nationalities and religious groups in Nigeria wish to live together. On what terms, conditions and basis..

The need to evolve a system where true Federalism will be practised, where power will devolve to the states or regions from the centre, where the people is the corner stone of development, where religious groups are tolerant of one another, where the resources of the state is utilized for the good of the people, cannot be wished again.

Unless we address these issues raised by the Ikemba during his life time, another another civil war may arise in the near future which the Federal might may not be able to quell.

Because the impending ‘war’ will be a peoples war, not between army formations, but by the people against their oppressors in army and civilian uniforms.

To forestall this, we therefore call on the Professional mourners in and outside power, to surmount the political courage and submit to the call for the convocation of a National Sovereign Conference now.

Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi is trending the path of his predecessors by constituting the National Football Team mainly with the so called professionals that lacked drive, vision and passion.

The same players that failed to spark in 2010 Nations Cup and last World Cup are being given a red carpet reception back to the Super Eagles.

Talk of Yakubu Aiyebgeni and Sani Kaita. Now what makes Stephen Keshi’s team different from that of former Coaches Shuebi Amodu or Samson Siasia’s team

We should learn from the Zambia experience that won recent Nations Cup with local players that have been playing together for five years

MRC believes the path to Nigeria’s greatness is on lifting local resources.

What people said after the match

Militi Mitchio, the Serbian coach of Rwanda,  said after the match in Kigali that Nigeria’s central defender, homeboy Azubuike Egwuekwe surprised him and that Rangers’ left midfielder Ejike Uzoenyi took their team unawares throughout the match.

He repeatedly asked where Coach Stephen Keshi got the boys from.

Writing on Football Development in Nigeria, I warned Super Eagles Coach Against relying on the same old, over pampered, and uninspiring foreign players that dissapointed not only Coaches Amodu and Siasia but the entire nation

It took a goaless drawn and the lack lustre performance by the likes of recycled and over rated players like Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Taye Taiwo, Sani Kaita, before Stephen Keshi realises that the path to success likes in relying more on your local resources.

I was excited to read comments attributed to Keshi in today’s Vanguard:

“Keshi did not mention names after the meeting but it was certain that in his time as coach of the Eagles the likes of Taiye Taiwo, Yakubu Aiyegbeni , Dickson Etuhu and Osaze Odewengie played their last match for Nigeria in Kigali. The same decision may also hang on the likes of Joel Obi who may have to show extraordinary performance in their clubs to justify any invitation especially in African qualifiers.

Two reasons are behind this. African football is different and players who lack commitment and the ruggedness of its game will continue to disappoint in Africa as some Eagles players have shown in many of their outings. The second reason is that Keshi has found the quality in some local players.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/03/s-h-o-c-k-e-r-osaze-yakubu-taiwo-etuhu-play-last-match-for-eagles/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I have barely rested from the article when the news came that the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly  Mr Adeyemi Ikuforiji, was, yesterday, arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos alongside his Personal Assistant, Mr. Oyebode Atoyebi by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on an amended 20 count charge of money laundering N273m public funds

There are many things fundamentally wrong with our governance system that enables a State Governor to embezzle N37b and a Legislator to have access to N273m which he allegedly mismanaged.

The truth is that there are no checks and balances in our governance system, the integrity of political office holders is very poor, the judicial system for punishing offences is slow, and the civil society is too week to monitor and police government.

There are still many more Iboris in our misdt pilfering the treasury. But one day the Judgement of man and God will fall on them as Nigerians arise and say enough is enough